Soak red beans in water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté sausage until browned about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess grease.
Sauté onions, bell peppers, and celery for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic.
Pour in water, and add red beans, sausage, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are cooked and mixture is thick and creamy. Feel free to add extra water if needed {add about ¼ cup water at a time}.
Add salt, and taste to adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaves.
About 30 minutes before serving, prepare rice. [I use this method and it works perfectly every single time!]
Serve red beans over rice, and sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
*You can use regular paprika in place of the smoked paprika.*My red beans took just about 3 hours to get to my perfect consistency. You can mash some of the beans to make this creamier if desired.*Makes 8-9 cups.